India weathered early trouble to outshine a determined West Indian attack and win the first of the three T20Is by five wickets at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday. It won with 2.1 overs to spare as wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik stood his ground with an unbeaten 31.
Karthik took control of the run-chase with the innings poised precariously at 45 for four in the eighth over and most of the established names — including captain Rohit Sharma (6), Shikhar Dhawan (3), K.L Rahul (16) — back in the dug-out.
Captain Rohit Sharma’s time-honoured romance with Eden Gardens did not come alive this time following a successful DRS appeal.
Rohit was declared caught behind edging a fine delivery from Oshane Thomas, who got the ball to cut back sharply and induce the inside edge. The umpire missed the snick which the cameras detected to help West Indies find an early break.
Rishabh Pant also had a poor outing out for one leaving the resurrection work to Karthik and Manish Pandey.
A 38-run stand between the two for the fifth wicket hoisted the Indian innings out of crisis. After Pandey felll at the score of 83, Karthik was joined by all-rounder Krunal Pandya to score the required 27 runs for victory.
Earlier, the West Indies top order failed while its less-accomplished lower order sparkled with the bat to offer India a fighting score. The Indian left-arm spin combination of Kuldeep Yadav and debutant Krunal Pandya broke the spine of the West Indian batting.
For left-arm orthodox Krunal, bowling figures of one for 15 off four overs was a great way to make a debut but it was Kuldeep Yadav who excelled once again at the Eden Gardens.
The chinaman bowler seems to be developing an affinity for the venue having picked up a hat-trick against Australia in the ODIs in September last year before bowling a match defining spell of four for 20 against Rajasthan Royals in the IPL this year.
Kuldeep scalped three important wickets to ensure that the visitors did not flourish after the pacers — Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah — had picked up the wickets of opener Denesh Ramdin and Shimron Hetmeyer.
Added to that was a mix-up that saw another wicket — of the other opener Shai Hope being run out. The spin duo came to operate in the eighth over with the visitors reeling at 34 for three.
After conceding 10 in his first over, Krunal returned in the 10th over to earn his first T20I wicket by dismissing Kieron Pollard. The burly West Indian, while trying another big hit, miscued his attempt and was caught by Pandey at long-on.
The miserly Kuldeep then picked up three wickets — Darren Bravo, Rovman Powell and the West Indian captain Carlos Brathwaite. Rohit persisted with his two spinners, who shared eight straight overs.
The West Indians innings could have folded up even earlier but for a rearguard action by the tail enders — Fabien Allen, Keemo Paul and Khary Pierre — who combined in two almost even partnerships for the eighth and the undefeated ninth wicket to bring up the last 46 runs in the final five overs.